Hanwha Aero-Hanwha Ocean Jointly Develop Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Ships

Ministry of Industry Selects Lead Institution for '200kW and Above Fuel Cell Power Pack Development Project for Ships'
Synergy with Marine Technology for 'Carbon-Free Ship Solution'

Hanwha Aerospace, together with Hanwha Ocean, is embarking on joint research and development (R&D) of hydrogen fuel cells to target the eco-friendly ship market. The plan is to actively enter the global eco-friendly ship market with a 'zero-carbon ship solution' leveraging the synergy of both companies' green technologies.

On the 24th, Hanwha Aerospace announced that it has been selected as the lead research institution for the new R&D project titled "Development of Fuel Cell Power Pack for Ships over 200 kW" under the hydrogen fuel cell category of the 2024 first energy technology development project, led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and managed by the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute.

Hanwha Aerospace received high marks for its development of high-efficiency and high-durability hydrogen fuel cells suitable for the marine environment, based on its technology developed for aviation hydrogen fuel cell systems, as well as its commercialization plans through land and sea demonstrations.

Hanwha Aerospace Pangyo R&D Center exterior view [Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

Hanwha Ocean, as a joint research institution, plans to comprehensively review operational information of ships equipped with hydrogen fuel cells and derive optimal operation methods.

Previously, the two companies jointly developed a MWh (megawatt-hour)-class energy storage system (ESS) applicable to large ships such as liquefied natural gas carriers (LNGC) and very large crude carriers (VLCC) to target the eco-friendly ship market, where demand is expected to surge due to 'green technology synergy.'

Moon Seung-hak, head of the Electric Propulsion System Division at Hanwha Aerospace, said, "We plan to expand the technology secured through the development of aviation hydrogen fuel cells to the marine sector. Through clean marine technology synergy with Hanwha Ocean, we will develop world-class hydrogen fuel cells for ships and provide a ‘zero-carbon ship solution.’"

Kim Hyung-seok, head of Product Strategy and Technology at Hanwha Ocean, stated, "Through this project, we plan to be the first in the industry to launch zero-carbon large ships equipped with large-capacity, high-efficiency, and high-durability hydrogen fuel cells developed in this project and Hanwha Aerospace’s MWh-class ESS, thereby solidifying our position as a global leader in the eco-friendly ship market."